VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican
is demanding that Christians and other religious minorities have the
right to return to their homes in Iraq and Syria that have been emptied
by Islamic militants.

Pope
Francis summoned Vatican ambassadors from across the region for three
days of meetings. At the conclusion Saturday, they reaffirmed that
military force was justified to stop the Islamic State group and that
Muslim and Christian religious leaders must denounce the
"instrumentalization of religion to justify violence."

The
ambassadors said the Iraqi and Syrian governments, backed by the
international community, must eventually ensure that Christians and
other minorities can return to their homelands in safety and freedom.

Noting
the 2,000-year presence of Christians there, the ambassadors said: "One
cannot resign oneself to conceiving the Middle East without
Christians."